TEAMING UP TO STOP THE NUMBER ONE KILLER OF TEENS
SACRAMENTO, Calif. –Traffic collisions are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the
United States. In response to this troubling fact, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has
partnered with Impact Teen Drivers with a shared goal, to change the teen culture and make
distracted driving intolerable. The yearlong traffic safety campaign continues through September 2014.
“Enforcement alone is not the answer – education plays an equally important role in keeping
California’s teenage drivers safe,” added Commissioner Joe Farrow. “We encourage parents to
get involved by talking to their teen driver about the rules of the road and by being good role
models behind the wheel.”
The teen driver program is designed to provide awareness and education to teenagers, their
parents, teachers, and community members about distracted and reckless driving. The ultimate
mission of this partnership is to reduce the number of injuries and deaths caused by distracted
driving and poor decision making by teenage drivers.
“It is crucial that we educate teens and empower them to make good decisions behind the
wheel,” said Kelly Browning, Executive Director of Impact Teen Drivers. “It is primarily
through this cultural change that we can eliminate the number one killer of teens in America –
reckless and distracted driving.”
Impact Teen Drivers communicates an educational message to teenage drivers using plain
language and relevant messages. Most importantly, the program inspires teenagers to commit to
being a responsible driver.
The grant-funded Teen Distracted Drivers Education and Enforcement III
campaign consists of an education component, as well as teen distracted driver enforcement operations to be conducted throughout the state. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The mission of the California Highway Patrol is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service,
and Security to the people of California.